Rodent trap



Sept.9,1947. W.LUCKTON 2,427,148

RODENT TRAP Filed July 13, 1945 INVENTOR WAL TEE L UCKTON ziM/(flvxATTORNEY Patented Sept. 9, 1947 RODENT TRAP Walter Luckton, Cloverdale,British Columbia,

- Canada Application July 13, 1945, Serial No. 604,792

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in rodent traps the objects ofwhich are to provide a trap in which the tripping or springing means isvery sensitive and the setting of the trim may be done with extreme easeand without danger to the user of being hurt due to improper setting.Further objects are to provide a trap in which two trap movements can beconveniently provided without recourse to doubling the normal area of asingle trap, so that with a rela tively small trap two rodents may becaught conveniently.

The embodiment of the invention herein described contemplates a basehaving opposed side walls each provided with an opening through whichthe rodent is capable of entering its head to reach the bait and a pairof trip plates mounted on a single support and a spring arm actuated byeach trip plate adapted to sweep the opening.

Referring to the drawings-- Fig. l is a plan view of the trap with thecover open.

Fig. 2 is a, side elevational view.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1,showing one side of the trap set.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing said trap sprung.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in each figure.

The numeral I indicates generally a base having side walls 2 which arepreferably rounded as at see Figure 2, and shallow end walls 3. The sidewalls 2 are each provided with an opening 5 having a plurality of prongsi around its lower periphery, which are adapted to prevent an animalfrom removing its head after being caught therein.

Extending between the end walls 4 is a horizontal rod 9 upon which apair of trip plates I!) are rockingly mounted, the axis of each of thetrip plates is so placed that the portion of the plate indicated by thenumeral ii, which is remote from the trigger portion i2, is the heavier,so that the trigger portion which is provided with an upstanding baittongue 13., will hold the plate substantially level when the trap isset, as shown in Figure 3 A pair of rods M extend between the side walls2 upon each of which a spring 35, anchored at one end, is mounted, theopposite end of said spring is extended across the rear of the opening 6to form a striker Iii, as shown partly in dotted line in Figure 2 and insoiid line in Figures 1, 3 and i. The free end of the striker it isoutwardly bent as at ll to overlie the top of the wall on reaching theend of its downward stroke and is then preferably bent to form a ringit.

A latch i9 is suspended from an orifice 26 in each side wall, which is awire shaped to provide a suspension member 22 having an inclined seat 23and an inwardly inclined shank 24 which terminates at its lowerextremity in an outwardly inclined cam 25 which extends through anorifice 2! in the trigger portion H of a trip plate it]. One of the endwalls 4 is apertured as at 28 to receive hinge lugs 25 of a cover 39,which cover is spaced from the side walls a sumcient distance to leavefree swinging move ment to the strikers l6 and to turn down to the base1 adjacent the opposite end wall. The depending weight of each latch l9would cause it to assume the position shown in Figure 3 if hanging freewith its lower extremity in contact with the side wall 2, consequentlywhen the striker is raised to set the trap it rests on the inclined seat23 and tends to urge the lower extremity of the latch away from thewall, this movement, however, is restricted by the inner margin of theorifice 21 since the trip plate 19 is weighted to normally assume asubstantially horizontal position. This restriction of inward movementprevents the seat 23 from receding from the wall 2 and retains thestriker in raised position as shown in Figure 3. When an animal placesits head and probably a foot through the opening 8 and puts a downwardpressure upon the adjacent trigger portion E2, the resistance to inwardmovement of the latch is removed and the cam 25 causes an accelerateddownward movement of the trigger portion and the swinging movement ofthe seat 23 from the wall 2 permits the striker l6 to sweep across theopening 6 and kill the entrapped animal. The final entrapping movementleaves the parts as shown in Figure 4.

As soon as the animal is removed from the trap the trip plate returns tohorizontal position and the latch to substantially vertical position. Toreset the trap, it sufiices to lift the ring 18 of the striker 16, thusspringing said striker up and onto its seat 23. The trap is baited byfirst opening the cover 38 and placing the bait in the usual way uponthe tongue [3, then when the cover is closed the trap may be placedwhere desired and the strikers raised to seating position when the trapis set.

Should the trap be set at the time the tongues 3 are being baited withthe cover raised, the effort will obviously spring the trap, but as thestrikers move substantially in the plane of their respective side Walls,no harm can come to the person handling the trap.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A rodent trap comprising a box-like struc ture having enclosingwalls, one of said walls having an animal entrance opening, a trip platehaving a trigger portion adapted to support bait pivotally mountedbehind the animal opening, a spring loaded striker mounted adjacent theentrance wall to move, on being released, across the entrance opening,and a latch having a seat adjacent its upper end and a cam adjacent itslower end, said latch being suspended from the wall, said seat beingadapted to support the striker in tensioned position and said cam beingengaged by the trigger portion to swing the latch to release the strikerfrom the seat.

2. A rodent trap comprising a box-like structure having enclosing walls,one of said walls having an animal entrance opening, a trip plate havinga trigger portion adapted to support bait pivotally mounted behind theanimal opening, a spring loaded striker mounted adjacent the entrancewall to move, on being released across the entrance openi and a latchsuspended from said wall, said latch having a seat for supporting thestriker when tensioned, and a cam, said cam extending through an orificein the trigger portion, said striker being so disposed when upon theseat to swing the latch and slip 01f the seat, the edge of the triggerportion orifice being adapted to engage one side of the cam to resistthe swinging movement of the latch and to engage the cam to assist saidlatch to swing when the trigger portion is depressed.

WALTER LUCKTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,989,174 Schwenk Jan. 20, 1935103,767 Owen May 31, 1870

